Wagon end-gate



(No Model.) I

W. O. FOSTER.

WAGON END GATE.

No. 452,436. Patented May 19,1891.

Shave whoa. 62 92% M v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM C. FOSTER, OF LA CROSSE, ISGON SIN.

WAGON EN D-GATE.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 452,436, dated May19, 1891.

Application filed February 18, 1891. Serial No. 381,884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. FOSTER, or La Crosse, in the county of LaCrosse and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in End- Gates for Vagons; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains tomake and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, whichform part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in end-gates for wagons; and itconsists in the combination and arrangement of parts which will be fullydescribed hereinafter, and referred to in the claims.

The object of my invention is not only to provide an end-gate forwagon-beds which will allow the entire contents of the bed to beshoveled out without any obstruction on the part of the gate, but toprovide the gate with an automatically-acting catch or catches whichwill hold the gate in any desired position.

' Figure l is a side elevation of a wagon-bed to which my invention isapplied. Fig. 2 is a.

plan view of the same, showing the gate opened back. Fig. 3 is avertical section. Fig. 4 is a rear view.

A represents the wagon-bed, which has the rear ends of its sides roundedaway so as to form the arcs of a circle These arcs do not start from theupper edges of the sides, but from near the base of the shoulders B,which are formed at the rear upper corners of the sides, as shown. Atthe base of the shoulders B, and at any suitable points in the arcs ofthe circle, are formed the notches O for holding the end-gate D in anydesired position. Secured to the outer sides of the curved ends of theside-boards of the bedAare the curved metallic plates E which projectjust far enough beyond the rounded edges of the sides to receive all thewear of the spring locking devices, and thus prevent injury to the beditself, and in these plates E the notches C are also formed. The upperends of the plates E extend up along the edges of the shoulders 13, andthen horizontally along the upper edges of the sides of the wagon-bed,as shown at F, for the purpose of bracing and strengthening the bed atthese points. The lower ends of the plates E are thickened so as to passthrough the cross-piece X, which is applied to the under side of therear end of the wagonbed. In order to prevent the side pieces fromsplitting at their rear ends, the vertical metallic plates G are securedto the outer sides of the side pieces, as shown, and which have theirlower ends thickened so as to extend through the cross-piece H andreceive the nuts I upon their lower screw-threaded portions.

The end-board D has a suitable metallic plate J secured to its oppositesides, and which plate at its center projects sufficiently far beyondthe lower edge of the gate to allow the pivotal rod K to pass through itand the sides of the bed, as shown. This rod forms the pivot upon whichthe end-gate D turns, and is screw-threaded at its outer end so as topass through the plate G, the brace N, and the ends 0 of the plate P, asshown.

Secured to the center of the end-gate near its upper edge, by means of asuitable clamping device Q of any suitable construction, is a springlocking-rod R, which is provided with knobs upon its ends, and which rodR passes through loops or guides T, secured to the'rear sides of theend-gate. These loops serve to keep the ends of the rod in contact withthe plate J, and at the same time allow them a vertical play or movementso that the ends of the rod, which is made of elastic or spring metal,can readily snap into the notches C for the purpose of locking the gatein any desired position. The knobs upon the ends of the spring-rod Rserve as handles, by means of which the ends of the rods are detachedfrom the notchesin opening or closing the end-gate. WVhen the endgate isclosed, its ends rest against the inside cleats U, which form a tightjoint therewith.

Secured to the bottom of the bed A, just in front of the lower edge ofthe end-gate D, is the plate I, which is raised by a V-shaped strip ofWood placed under it, so as to extend at a slight-angle to the bottom ofthe bed. The rear edge of this plate P bears tightly against the plate Jand serves to prevent any material working between the twoparts. Thisplate P allows the contents of the wagon-bed to be shoveled or scrapedfreely out, and does not form any obstruction of any kind. The endpieces 0 of this plate P project outside of the wagon-bed and are turnedso as to be in a vertical position, and thus bear directly against thesides of thebed. These end pieces 0 serve to brace and seeu re the plateI in po sition and strengthen the sides of the wagonbed, and to serve asadditional bearings for the screw-threaded pivotal rod K.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The wagon-bed having theends of its sides rounded away and provided with notches, combined withthe end-gate which is hinged at its lower end and swings vertically, andspring-catches for catching in the notches, substantially as shown.

2. The pivoted end-gate, the spring-rod secured thereto and having itsends to project beyond the sides of the wagon-bed, combined with thewagon-bed having the rear ends of its sides rounded away and providedwith notches, substantially as described.

3. The wagon-bed, the plate P, secured to the bottom of the wagon-bed,and the wooden strip placed under the plate, combined with the end-gate,substantially as set forth.

-l. The end-gate and the pivotal rod upon wh ieh it turns, combined withtlicplatcJ,wliicl1 is applied to the sides of the end-gate and passesaround its lower end to form a bearing for the rod below the end-gate,substantially as specified.

The wagon-bed, combined with the plate P, which is secured to itsbottom, and which plate is provided with the end pieces 0, which extendthrough the sides of the wagon-bed and are secured thereto,substantially as shown.

6. The wagon-body having the rear ends of its side pieces rounded away,the plates E, provided with the extensions F at their upper ends, thebraces U, and the plates G, provided with serew-threaded portions attheir lower ends to pass through the cross-piece ll, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my sign aturc in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM C. FOSTER. Witnesses:

M. J. LEIFLI.NG\VELL, E. J. LEFFINGWELL.

